Taking a look at the possible MJD destinations

Posted by Mike Florio on August 23, 2012, 3:28 PM EST

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So with Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew open to the possibility of being traded (i.e., he wants out) and with the Jaguars not yet slamming the door publicly on the possibility (i.e., make us an offer), who could be or should be or would be interested?

We took a look at several possibilities during Thursday’s edition of PFT Live.

So here they are, with a quick word on whether it makes sense for each of the various teams mentioned.

Go ahead and press play — the boss has fallen asleep after eating an entire chicken pot pie.

I’m not a Lions fan but oh wow would that be scary if he ended up in Detroit.

gmsalpha says:Aug 23, 2012 3:58 PM

Broncos appear to be the best bet from the teams listed. Who knows how good Peyton will last, and if he’s good, who knows how long he’ll last.

He needs more weapons. Preferrably a stud wideout, but if that’s not in the cards, with Jack Del Rio (JDR?) there already and knowing MJD as well as he does, it could make sense, even though Del Rio is on the other side of the ball.

I’d like to see him in Denver, but I think the Jags will end up asking too steep a price and either MJD will cave, or he’ll sit out the year, which will not be good for his career, as the year wouldn’t count towards his contract, leaving him in the same spot he’s in now, only a year older.

With that said….a contract was a contract.

If you outplay it, don’t ask to renegotiate for more money. No athlete would renegotiate for less money if they underperformed. Be a man. Suck it up. Be a professional about it.

icdogg says:Aug 23, 2012 4:04 PM

MJD is not enough of a difference-maker to justify what it would cost to trade and sign him.

I doubt there will be a trade, for that reason.

krazytrane says:Aug 23, 2012 4:12 PM

Players may not volunteer a reduction in pay if they under perform, however, the team has the right to reduce pay to zero by simply cutting the player. Until both sides are actually bound by the contract it is unreasonable to criticize MJD for holding out.

clw1906 says:Aug 23, 2012 4:52 PM

icdogg says:
Aug 23, 2012 4:04 PM
MJD is not enough of a difference-maker to justify what it would cost to trade and sign him.

I doubt there will be a trade, for that reason.

Lol he carried that sorry excuse of a team offensively last season. If I were him I would never want to play for the unappreciative fans like yourself!

Look at their own contract problem: Cliff Avril. He was reportedly offered a 3 year, $30M contract from the Lions, but turned it down. He’s on the books for $10M this season after signing his franchise tender. Detroit isn’t in a hurry to give him a large contract considering the depth at the position (Kyle Vanden Bosch, Willie Young, Lawrence Jackson and Everette Brown), as well as the supporting cast and scheme in Detroit. (Suh, Williams and Fairley drawing attention, wide-9 scheme that caters to pass-rushing DEs).

Jacksonville would be a great fit for a player of Avril’s caliber, and Detroit has been spending significant resources to improve their RB play. Best’s career may be over and Kevin Smith is more suited for a backup role, which leaves Leshoure, a player who is recovering from a season-ending injury and hasn’t played a snap in the NFL, as the only legitimate back on the roster.

MJD would be a perfect fit for Detroit, and Avril would be a perfect fit for Jacksonville. The cap isn’t a concern: Avril is set to make as much as, or more than, MJD. MJD would give the Lions a legitimate RB, and it would allow Detroit to bring Leshoure along slowly.

I am starting to get tired of the whole argument – well the teams get to cut the player and not pay them if they don’t perform.

Well duh – that is how every contract in the world works. If you are being paid to do a service and then don’t live up to billing you get cut. That isn’t just the football owners, that is every person that uses a contractor.

If the person taking out your wireless provider doesn’t meet their requirements, don’t you replace the company?

If you sign a contract with them, don’t you expect the service for the agreed price? What happens if they cut off your service because they want more money? Do you give it to them because they think they are worth it or do you tell them that you gave me a certain price, now give the service?

In every case, we see the story of a player trying to renegotiate the contract that they signed because they think they deserve more. Shouldn’t they have tried for that when they negotiated the contract?

For MJD, his is even worse because he wanted most of the money up front, so he got those big paychecks already, so now when the checks are smaller BY HIS CHOICE, he wants more.

Screw him if he wants to sit out. He got what he wanted now he wants to try and extort more. I think it is great that Khan is standing up to him. Not because I like the owners, but because each time one of those moron owners cave it is harder for the next case.

I think you’re missing the point: players also have a right, and that right is to not play. Yes, teams can back out of a contract by cutting a player. Players can also back out of a contract by refusing to play.

When players get criticized for using their leverage (refusing to play), people point out that teams use their leverage all the time (cutting a player).

I agree with “commonsenseescapesyou” – Florio is wrong about the Lions on this one (as he usually is)… but I don’t think the Lions actually need to trade Avril to Jacksonville in order to get MJD. I think the Lions could get away with trading future draft picks for him. Here’s why: MJD is making a mere $4.5 million this year if he’s not given a new contract. I think the Lions could find SOMEONE on their roster that is expendable if it meant being able to pay MJD $4.5 mil. Then, after this 2012 season, they can let Avril (and his $10+ million in cap space) become a free agent because Willie Young can do just about as much damage as Avril at that DE spot, not to mention the fact that they have obvious depth there. With Avril out of the picture, that frees up space to give MJD a fatter contract. Plus, they can still restructure the deals of Stafford and Suh in order to save the team cap space. Therefore, if the Lions can get away with giving Jacksonville 2-3 future draft picks without robbing them of their future, I think it makes a butt-load of sense for Detroit (AND the Jags, really).

@”gmsalpha” — Your reasoning is flat-out illogical for the NFL. It’s a business. But even as a mere fan of the game, even I can see how badly MJD is being treated. He’s one of the best RB’s in the game, hands down, and he’s making about the same amount of money as Sebastian Janikowski. That’s just asinine. The Jags’ retard of an owner needs to realize that his players are his biggest asset and actually pay them what they’re worth. The NFL is a business for the players just as much as it is a business for the teams.

lobzila says:Aug 27, 2012 6:17 AM

Bring him to San Diego! He could teach Ryan Mathews how to hold on the to the ball and play with out getting injured. Norv needs a workhorse back like him to save his job. And yes I am a bolts fan. Maybe trade Phillip Rivers? Just saying.